Beautifully Broken

Chapter 18

"I swear it's all about sex with them. Sorry if they made you feel uncomfortable" I poorly apologised to Tyler as we entered his room.

"You don't need to apologise" he laughed, "Trust me, I know what my cousin is like. Besides, I don't really care what they say or are thinking." 

He made his way to the windows, pulling back the curtains so we had a perfect view out the floor to ceiling window. I was already climbing onto the bed, sliding in under the covers. Tyler removed his shirt and slid in beside me. I immediately cuddled up to him.

"I'm the lucky one. I have a beautiful girl in my bed with me. I don't really care what anyone else thinks." Tyler said sweetly, kissing the top of my head.

We lay there, watching the lightening forks slam down into the ocean. The water was rough and angry, but the sights in front of us were spectacular. Every now and then, there was a large bolt of lightening and we would ooo and ahh over it. This was the best storm I'd ever experienced, but maybe that had more to do with being here with Tyler.

"So I was thinking" Tyler began.

"Careful, don't strain your brain thinking too much" I teased.

"Shhh. I'm being serious here. I was thinking, I would really like to take you on a real date. I know we have hung out, but I mean an actual date. What do you say?"

I sat up slightly turning my body towards him, he looked nervous.

The butterflies were back in my stomach, I couldn't wipe the grin off my face if I tried, "I'd love to" I responded.

His smile grew wide. He wrapped his hand around my neck, pulling me in for a kiss. Both of us smiling into the kiss. "You are beautiful Kayla" he whispered against my lips.

I pulled back away from him, "I'd say the same back, but you have this ugly black eye that I just can't get past" I teased him.

"Battle wounds, fighting for the girl that's captured my attention" he said, pulling me back against his side. I cuddled into his chest as he wrapped his arms around me protectively.

"Tell me about yourself Tyler. Tell me about friends at your old school, I want to know all about you, tell me about the good times" I asked.

"Where do I even start?"

"Were you popular? Scratch that, of course you were, hot guys are always popular" I rolled my eyes.

He laughed, the vibrations moving from his chest through my body.

"My school was pretty small and we didn't have many sports teams or cheerleaders like yours to define popularity. I had close friends, well I thought they were but after they heard what happened I haven't heard from them really. I don't think they know what to say to me."

"Tell me about them."

"Ok, well Daniel was my best friend. He surfs too. He is the guy everyone's parents love but is trouble. He was always trying to get us to do crazy things. He liked to borrow cars and go for joyrides and he was always up for a party. Somehow he had managed to steal a key to one of the lifeguard towers and it became our secret hangout spot. I remember walking in there after a fight with mom and finding him hooking up with Caitlin. I busted open their secret relationship and they are still together now."

"So you're a trouble maker then" I asked.

"I wouldn't say that. We just didn't have much to do in our small town, so we made our own fun. Anyway Daniel and Caitlin spent a lot of time together so I also became close with Shaun and Natasha. Shaun is like the nerd of our group, funnily enough the future valedictorian hung out with the 'trouble makers' as you described us. He kept us grounded though and helped with homework." I could tell he was remembering his old friends fondly.

"And Natasha?"

"She was to me, what Mason is to you. Especially when Daniel and Caitlin were together. Only we crossed that line, we thought we had feelings for one another and tried to be a couple for a little while. It didn't work out, we decided that we were better as friends."

"I see. Is she your only ex girlfriend?" I questioned, not sure if I really wanted to know.

"Yes. It's a really small town, you either fall in love with someone there and stay forever or you leave and find out there are amazing people elsewhere in the world." He looked down at me, smiling. I knew he was talking about how he has met me.

"Did you sleep together?" I asked quietly. I didn't know why I was really nervous to hear the answer, I didn't expect him to be a virgin at all. 

He was quiet for a moment, "yeah we did. But just because everyone else was doing it and we thought it was expected of us. Straight after we broke up, it was pretty terrible with no chemisty and we worked out that we were better as friends. She's the only one I've ever been with just in case that's what you are going to ask next" he grinned at me, working out what information I was trying to get out of him.

"I wasn't going to ask" I lied.

"Mmmhmmm. Sure. So now you know a bit about my old friends and what we got up to. You know my limited sexual history, you know my family, what else would you like to know?"

I thought for a moment. "Ummmm, what's your favourite colour?"

He laughed, "Seriously?" I nodded, grinning like the dork I really am. "Blue, like the ocean. Blue, like your eyes" he said softly, looking directly at me.

The storm was still thrashing about outside, the power still out, but it didn't matter because we were now in our own bubble.

Tyler moved his body to the side and lay me down, so he was hovering above my body. Our lips connected again, this kiss quickly going from soft and caring to deep and passionate. He requested entry to my mouth with his tongue, I let him. Our tongues dancing together as he held me firmly, but safely with his hand on the bare skin of my hip, just above my shorts.

Tyler made me feel protected, made me feel wanted and special. He wasn't trying to push me at all. No one had ever made me feel this way by just kissing me. Every other worry in our lives didn't matter in this moment.

He moved from my mouth, kissing along my jaw to my neck. I let me head drop back to give him better access, running my hands up his bare chest. I traced his muscles, feeling him tense at my touch, his kisses finding their way back to my mouth again. My whole body reacting to his touch, to his lips.

As the kiss deepened more, I ran my hands through his hair, our bodies moving closer together. Tyler's hand on my waist began to move around, under my top, across my torso and up towards my breasts. I stiffened slightly at his touch, hoping he didn't notice, but of course he did.

He pulled away, "We should stop. Sorry, I shouldn't have got so carried away." he stammered.

"Tyler, it's ok. If I wanted you to stop, I would have said it." I assured him.

"I felt you tense Kayla, I don't want to push you. I'm not like him"

"You could never be like him. I didn't mean to tense, like it wasn't because of you. It was me. Please trust me if I tell you that I'm ok with this."

"I trust you. For tonight though, I think we should stop."

I nodded, knowing deep down that he was right. I still craved his touch though, he sent tingles through my whole body that no one ever had before. I don't know how he in just two weeks this stranger from a small town had managed to work his way into my life, my mind, and my heart. I wanted and needed him. 

I wrapped my arms around his torso, watching the storm until I slowly felt my eyes closing and let myself drift off to sleep.